The age at which beef heifers should be first mated depends upon the economics of management input against returns. Well grown British breed heifers can be mated as early as 15 months to calve at 24 months, but require extra managerial effort if good results are to be obtained.
What age is best to breed heifers?
– 14 months
Whether you are raising or buying replacement heifers, the goal is to start breeding heifers near 12 – 14 months of age. By this time, heifers should have reached or be close to reaching puberty. Heifers must be pubertal in order to become bred.
Can a 7 month old bull breed a cow?
Overall, bulls reach puberty between the ages of 9 and 10 months. About three weeks before reaching puberty, male calves begin showing interest in the opposite sex. However, just because the bull is capable of breeding before reaching his first birthday doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
Can a 5 month old heifer get pregnant?
After weaning we recommend that you separate the bull calves from the heifers; she can become pregnant after 5-6 months of age.
What happens if you breed a heifer too early?
This is called precocious puberty. These females may be still nursing their dams. This doesn’t happen often, but can happen. This is too young for a beef female to become pregnant because at calving these females tend to have difficult births as the birth canal is not fully developed.
Can a 6 month old calf breed?
Usually it’s best to wait until they are at least 15 months of age before breeding. Even though the early maturing breeds do reach puberty by the time they are around 7 to 9 months of age, it is best to wait until they are around 13 to 15 months of age before you can breed them.
At what age can a bull breed a heifer?
Puberty in bulls occurs when they can produce viable sperm. This happens at approximately 12 months of age, though it can vary in individual bulls several months before or after this age depending on biological type (primarily frame size and potential mature weight), nutrition, and health status.
Can you breed a bull back to his daughter?
You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called inbreeding or close breeding. Again, this breeding practice is rarely practiced today, although it was common in the foundation animals of most breeds.
What age do heifers go into heat?
14 – 15 month old
Weight (lbs) at which 14 – 15 month old heifers of different breeds reaches puberty. Table 1 shows the effect of weight on the % of heifers in a herd at 14 – 15 months of age which show first heats, (onset of puberty).
Can a one year old heifer get pregnant?
Heifers must have hit puberty and begun having estrous cycles in order to conceive. This typically happens around 1 year of age, although there are breed differences in average age at puberty, and some females may naturally undergo precocious puberty and begin cycling at or before 300 days of age.
Can a first time heifer have twins?
When it comes to calving season, twins are an unusual occurrence, but not necessarily rare. It’s estimated that anywhere between 1-2% of beef cattle pregnancies will result in a twin birth.
How many times can you breed a heifer?
Theoretically, a cow could give birth more than once during a year if she rebreeds quickly. Good management practices when raising cattle recommend waiting to rebreed cattle until their calves are older. If a cow rebreeds within 82 days of calving, she will give birth in one year.
Should you keep a heifers first calf?
Heifer development is one of the most substantial expenses for beef cattle operations. Time quickly gets away when you’re a cow-calf operator, but it’s essential to keep the first calf heifers on track. Heifers conceiving early in their first breeding season will have increased lifetime production and efficiency.
How many times can a heifer give birth?
As one local dairyman puts it, cows get their maternity leave for a couple months before they give birth. It usually works out that cows are giving birth every 12-14 months. With the life span of U.S. dairy cows averaging 4-6 years, most cows have 2-4 calves in a lifetime.
At what age can a female calf be bred?
In order to accomplish this a heifer must become pregnant by 14 months of age, have sufficient body size for pregnancy and dystocia-free parturition and sufficient body energy reserves to return to oestrus following calving.
Why is second breeding of heifers difficult?
“Low blood energy, as a result of poor body condition at calving, generally is the cause of re- breeding failure,” Evans concludes. Compounding the problem is the fact that a first-calf heifer just overcame the greatest physiological stresses of her life.
How long does a heifer stay in heat?
The time when a cow is on heat is defined as the period during which a cow will stand to be ridden by her herd mates or a bull. It occurs every 18-24 days, averaging 21 days in non-pregnant cows and lasts on average 14-15 hours. This time can vary from 2-30 hours.
Can you breed a bull to a half sister?
I’ve been asked by several breeders if it is “OK to breed two half-siblings” (usually, a bull and a cow that share the same sire). The short answer is that there is nothing “wrong” with breeding any two animals of any degree of relatedness, as long as one realizes the potential risks and benefits of the mating.
How long is a heifer pregnant?
A cow’s pregnancy lasts about 9 months and 10 days. When a calf is born, it usually weighs around 45 pounds and can stand and walk within an hour. Our calves are moved into the nursery shortly after they are born, so our farmers can look after and care for them closely.
How many cows can 1 bull breed?
Length of Breeding Season
Mature bulls can breed up to 40 cows during a 60- to 90-day breeding period and sire a high percentage of these calves in the first 40 days of the calving season. If cows are run in large groups, two bulls that are the same age and breed could run with 80 cows.
Can you breed son to mother in cattle?
Mating of beef cattle that are close relatives (brother-sister, sire-daughter, son-dam) produces high levels of inbreeding. Inbreeding generally is detrimental to long-term reproductive performance and growth. Highly inbred cattle are also more susceptible to environmental stress and health problems.